Intel Unveils Core Series 3 Chips: Powerful AI-Ready Processors for Mainstream Laptops

Intel Introduces Core Series 3 Chips for Mainstream Laptops

Intel has officially unveiled its new Core Series 3 chips, the official name for its Wildcat Lake-codenamed series designed for mainstream and value-oriented laptops. Built using the same Intel 18A process as its Core Ultra Series 3 chips, these processors promise significant performance improvements over the previous generation.

Performance and Efficiency Breakthroughs

The new Core Series 3 chips deliver:

• Up to 47% better single-thread performance and 41% better multi-thread performance compared to a five-year-old PC.
• 2.8x better GPU AI performance than older models.
• Up to 64% lower processor power compared to last-gen Intel Core 7 150U processors.
• 2.7x AI GPU performance improvement over previous generations.

Intel highlights "exceptional battery life" and "boosted AI-ready performance" as key features of the new chips.

Core Series 3 Lineup Specifications

The lineup includes a range of processors, with the top model being the six-core Intel Core 7 360, featuring:

• P-core Max Turbo frequency of 4.8GHz
• NPU TOPS performance of 17

Other six-core options scale down in performance, while the entry-level model is a five-core Core 3 processor with a more modest GPU.

Battery Life and Connectivity

Intel claims the Core Series 3 chips deliver:

• 12.5 hours of battery life for office use.
• 18.5 hours of battery life for streaming on Netflix.

Connectivity features include:

• Wi-Fi 7 support
• Bluetooth 6 compatibility
• Two Thunderbolt 4 ports

Expected Availability in 2026

The Core Series 3 chips are set to power a variety of laptops throughout 2026, including:

• Acer Aspire Go 14, 15, and 16
• ASUS Vivobook 14/15/17
• ASUS ExpertBook B5 Flip, B3 G2, and P3 G2

Additional laptops from Dell, Samsung, and Lenovo are expected to be announced in the near future.